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Spain MP photo used for Bin Laden Spain MP photo used for Bin Laden
(about 2 hours later)
A Spanish politician has said he was shocked to find out the FBI had used his photo for a digitally-altered image showing how Osama Bin Laden might look.A Spanish politician has said he was shocked to find out the FBI had used his photo for a digitally-altered image showing how Osama Bin Laden might look.
Gaspar Llamazares said he would no longer feel safe travelling to the US after his hair and parts of his face appeared on a most-wanted poster.Gaspar Llamazares said he would no longer feel safe travelling to the US after his hair and parts of his face appeared on a most-wanted poster.
He said the use of a real person for the mocked-up image was "shameless".He said the use of a real person for the mocked-up image was "shameless".
The Spanish newspaper El Mundo said an FBI spokesman had admitted the agency had taken a picture from Google Images. The FBI admitted a forensic artist had obtained certain facial features "from a photograph he found on the internet".
The digitally-altered photos of the al-Qaeda leader, showing how he might look now, aged 52, were issued by the US state department on Friday. The digitally-altered photos of the al-Qaeda leader, showing how he might look now, aged 52, were published on the state department's Rewards for Justice website on Friday.
Officials said they had adapted a 1998 file image to take account of a decade's worth of ageing, and possible changes to facial hair.Officials said they had adapted a 1998 file image to take account of a decade's worth of ageing, and possible changes to facial hair.
'Low level' intelligence 'Unintentional and inadvertent'
Mr Llamazares, 52, the former leader of the United Left coalition in parliament, said he could not believe it when he was first told about the similarity between himself and the new photo-fit of Bin Laden.Mr Llamazares, 52, the former leader of the United Left coalition in parliament, said he could not believe it when he was first told about the similarity between himself and the new photo-fit of Bin Laden.
He said he soon realised that his forehead, hair and jaw-line had been "cut and pasted" from an old campaign photograph.He said he soon realised that his forehead, hair and jaw-line had been "cut and pasted" from an old campaign photograph.
Bin Laden's safety is not threatened by this but mine certainly is Gaspar LlamazaresBin Laden's safety is not threatened by this but mine certainly is Gaspar Llamazares
"I was surprised and angered because it's the most shameless use of a real person to make up the image of a terrorist," he told a news conference."I was surprised and angered because it's the most shameless use of a real person to make up the image of a terrorist," he told a news conference.
"It's almost like out of a comedy if it didn't deal with matters as serious as Bin Laden and citizens' security.""It's almost like out of a comedy if it didn't deal with matters as serious as Bin Laden and citizens' security."
The FBI claimed to have used "cutting edge" technology, but Mr Llamazares said it showed the "low level" of US intelligence services and could cause problems if he was wrongly identified as the Saudi.The FBI claimed to have used "cutting edge" technology, but Mr Llamazares said it showed the "low level" of US intelligence services and could cause problems if he was wrongly identified as the Saudi.
"Bin Laden's safety is not threatened by this but mine certainly is," he said, adding that he was considering taking legal action."Bin Laden's safety is not threatened by this but mine certainly is," he said, adding that he was considering taking legal action.
El Mundo quoted FBI spokesman Ken Hoffman as saying a technician "was not satisfied" with the hair features offered by the FBI's software programme and instead used part of a photo of Mr Llamazares posted on the internet. Later, an FBI spokesman told the BBC that it was "aware of the similarities in hairline features of the age-progressed photograph of Osama Bin Laden, posted on the web yesterday, and that of an existing photograph of a Spanish public official".
"The technician had no idea whose image he had found and no dark motive for using it," he told the newspaper. "When producing age-progressed photographs, forensic artists typically select features from a database of stock reference photographs to create the new image."
The FBI did not respond immediately when asked for comment on Saturday, requesting that questions be sent to it by e-mail. "After a preliminary review, it appears that in this instance the forensic artist was unable to find suitable features among the reference photographs and obtained those features, in part, from a photograph he found on the internet."
"The forensic artist was not aware of the identity of the individual depicted in the photograph. The similarities between the photos were unintentional and inadvertent."